Fulham’s Mitrovic Receives Eight-Game Ban for Pushing Referee

The Premier League side will be without their star attacker for quite a while.

Fulham star striker Aleksandar Mitrović is facing a lengthy spell on the sideline after an independent regulatory committee issued a punishment to him following an altercation with a referee on March 19.

During an FA Cup matchup against Manchester United, Mitrović was sent off with a red card after shoving referee Chris Kavanagh. Initially, Mitrović was issued a three-match ban for his antics during the match, but an additional five games have been added onto his sentence by the independent regulatory committee. 

The suspension included an additional three-game ban tacked on for “violent conduct towards a match official” and two more for using language that was “improper, abusive, insulting, or threatening,” according to Sky Sports. 

Mitrovic gets an eight-game ban for this incident on referee Chris Kavanagh.

A tad harsh maybe, but I also have very little sympathy for him.

Thoughts?
https://t.co/jPizj7IrnO

— Daniel Hussey (@DanielHussey2) April 4, 2023

The FA intends to appeal the decision from the regulatory committee, which also included a two-game ban and £20,000 fine for manager Marco Silva. 

Mitrović has already served the first of his eight-game ban, having been sidelined during Fulham’s 2–1 away loss against Bournemouth on April 1. He’s set to miss the club’s next seven Premier League fixtures as a result of his ban, which will include matches against West Ham, Everton, Leeds United, Aston Villa, Manchester City, Liverpool, and Leicester City. 

Unless the FA wins its appeal, Mitrović won’t be available for the mid-table club until their clash against Southampton on May 13, in what would be Fulham’s third-to-last match of the season. 

Fulham is in 10th in the Premier League with 39 points as of Tuesday. Mitrović has scored 11 goals in 21 appearances.